Alissa K. Christopher

Co-Chair, Bad Faith Group

Alissa K. Christopher represents and advises insurance companies in complex coverage and extracontractual matters in addition to working on insurance coverage litigation. She assists third-party insurers with evaluating their contractual obligations as to defense, indemnity, and settlement, as well as avoiding bad faith.

Alissa earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology from Texas A&M University. She earned her law degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Alissa represents pro bono clients seeking asylum with the Human Rights Initiative (HRI) of North Texas. Active since 2018, she was recognized as the HRI Volunteer of the Week in June of 2022. She also enjoys Texas Rangers baseball, yoga, and traveling to learn about new places and cultures.

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Experience

News

Cozen O'Connor's Alissa Christopher named Volunteer of the Week by the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas

June 14, 2022

Alissa Christopher, Member of the firm's Global Insurance Department, was recognized as the Volunteer of the Week by the Human Rights Initiative (HRI) of North Texas.

Cozen O'Connor Promotes 27 to Membership

May 01, 2019

Cozen O'Connor is pleased to recognize 27 attorneys with the promotion to member: Dylan Alper, Philip J. Berens, Alison Weintraub Berson, Evan Berquist, Alexandra Campau, Alissa K. Christopher, Matthew D. Clyde, Rachel Collins Clarke, Michael A. Corgan, Matthew L. Elkin, Nicole M. Ellis, Alex H. Hayden, David S. Huard, Haryle Kaldis, David Kirchblum, Matthew Evan Lewitz, Jesse Ryan Loffler, Samantha L. Mazo, Lindsey A. Miller, Jeffrey M. Monhait, Jonathan Nase, Jacqueline Promislo, Shelby K. Riney, Kelly Shinn, Terri A. Sutton, Daniel P. Thiel, and Laura Zulick.

Publications

Under Texas Law, No Tender Means No Obligation To Defend [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

June 30, 2022

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed a long-standing Texas rule: the duty to defend is not implicated unless the insured complies with the policy’s notice-of-suit requirements and demands a defense. Moreno v. Sentinel Ins. Co., Ltd., 35 F.4th 965, 975-77 (5th...

The Third Circuit Finds Defense Owed for Potentially Covered Advertising Injury [Alert]

January 13, 2022

Deborah Minkoff, Alissa Christopher, and Rebekah Shapiro discuss the Third Circuit's decision in Vitamin Energy, LLC v. Evanston Ins. Co.

Fifth Circuit Finds Potential Coverage for Data Breach; Interprets “Publication” Broadly [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

July 23, 2021

Using general contract interpretation principles, the Fifth Circuit reversed summary judgment in favor of an insurer and found a duty to defend Landry’s in a data breach lawsuit. Landry’s Inc. v. The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, No. 19-20430 (July 21, 2021). Landry’s...

Extrinsic Evidence and the Duty to Defend in Texas: To Be or Not to Be? [Casualty Coverage Chronicle Blog]

February 17, 2021

In July of 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit revisited and affirmed its prediction that Texas courts will not allow extrinsic evidence to determine an insurer’s duty to defend where such evidence engages the truth or falsity of facts alleged in the pleadings. Notably,...

Texas Supreme Court Crafts “Undisputed Evidence of Collusive Fraud” Exception to Eight-Corners Rule [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

May 06, 2020

In Texas, and as a general rule, only the four corners of the policy and the four corners of the petition against the insured are relevant in deciding whether the duty to defend applies. Richards v. State Farm Lloyds, ___S.W.3d ___, 2020 WL 1313782 at *1 (Tex. 2020). Texas courts and practitioners...

Industry Sectors

Insurance

Education

  • Southern Methodist University, J.D., 1991
  • Texas A&M University, B.S., 1986
  • Texas
  • Texas Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court -- Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court -- Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court -- Western District of Texas
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Defense Research Institute 

Claims and Litigation Management Alliance